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UNSUSTAINABLE PROPERTY TAX INCREASES

From 2000 through to 2013, Guelph property taxes have increased at a rate that is much more than the increase in CPI (Consumer Price Index). If a citizen has an income increase that keeps pace with inflation, as measured by the CPI, that person is considered fortunate. However, when you consider that property taxes are paid out of your “take home” pay which is what you have left after the statutory deductions ( federal & provincial income tax, CPP, EI, healthcare tax, and any other source deductions) are made before you get your pay cheque, the impact of the property tax increases really become apparent. The graph above shows that while the CPI increased by 31%, the property tax increased by 83%.

Take a moment to think if as a citizen of Guelph are you better off as a result of these tax increases. If you are on a fixed income , for how much longer will you be able to afford to pay these outrageous tax increase and continue to live in your current residence. Similarly, if you are a young family either saving for or in your starter residence, how long can you sustain such property tax increases?

To further aggravate the already unsustainable tax burden, the projected rates of increase are 14% over the next 3 years with an increase of 6.2% in 2015.

What can you do to put a stop to these unsustainable tax increases? The first thing is to look back and see who were the mayor and councillors that with a “tax and spend” mentality repeatedly pushed through tax increases above the rate of inflation to pay for their pet “strategic visions” that did not enhance your life in Guelph and led to the number of Guelph civic employees growing faster than the population growth of Guelph. Then having identified these financially illiterate members of council, strike them off the list of people you would consider to represent you as members of the next councilfollowing the October 2014 civic elections. It is time to VOTE for CHANGE & for a BETTER GUELPH, that will respect you as a citizen paying taxes for your city.